Improvement in adjustable watch-keys



B. F. STANTON.

Adjustable Watch-Keys.

N0l5 ,9.31. PatentedJune9,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BENJAMIN F. STANTON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HOMER W. TERRY. v

IMPROVEMENT IN ADJUSTABLE WATCH-KEYS.

Specicationforming part of Letters Patent No. 151,931, dated June 9, 1874 application filed February 11, 1874.

To all whom 'it may conce-rn:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. STANTON, of Springfield, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a newand useful Improved Adj ustable Watch-Key; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure l is a side view of my invention. Fig. 2 is an inside view of one ot' the levers. Fig. 3 is an inside "iew of the opposite lever. Fig. 4 is an end view of the levers as hinged together to form the key, and Fig. 5 is a reverse end view of the device.

My invention relates to a watch-key which may be adjusted readily to wind any watch which is wound by a key; and it consists of two levers hinged or pivoted together near one end, the short arms or ends of said levers being properly grooved to form the two jaws or barrel of an adjustable watch-key, which may be opened or closed to t the arbor of any watch which it is desired to wind by simply moving the opposite arms of the levers to or from each other, the ends of which bear against each other, and are held apart by their' own elasticity.

In the drawings, a a are two levers, which are hinged or pivoted together near one end by a pivot, c, extending through both levers, the ears e and tongue j' itting between said ears, forming a convenient and eective hinge, through which to insert the pivot. The short arms a of the levers have each a V-shaped groove, h, made therein, so that when the two levers are pivoted together, the grooves are opposite each other, and form a socket or barrel, as shown at h in Fig. 4. The levers a a are held apart, to keep the jaws a together, as shown in the drawings, by extending the levers at some distance from the fulcrum c, and

bending their ends together, as shown at k, and to assist in keeping the levers firmly together, or prevent them from being moved laterally with reference to each other. One may have a recess, i, made therein, into which is fitted a projection, i', made upon the end ofthe other lever, as shown in Fig. 5 5 but this arrangement of projection and recess is not essential to the successful operation ot' the key. l

In using the key, as shown inthe drawings, the two levers a a, are pressed together, and, having a bearing against each othenj at the fulcrum, or against the pivot c, the two jaws a are opened or thrown apart by such pressure upon the levers, and the keyis then placed upon the arbor, and the pressure being removed, the levers a are held apart by their own elasticity, and the jaws a thus have a firm 'gripe upon th'e arbor, and the watch may be wound. The levers are again moved toward each other, opening the jaws, and the key removed from the arbor.

I am aware that watch-keys have heretofore been used in which the jaws were made adjustable by means of a sleeve moving to and fro upon a tapered part of the jaws, said sleeve being actuated by a screw and nut, or by a spring, and I do not claim the same, nor any part thereof; but

Having described my invention, what I do claim as new is An adjustable watch-key consisting of the levers a a, having a bearing against each other at one end, and having the grooved jaws a made upon the other end, and hinged or pivoted together at c, all constructed and operatin g substantially as described.

BENJAMIN F. STANTON.

IVitnesses:

CLARENCE BUCKLAND, T. A. CURTIS. 

